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"LEST WE FORGET" 

OLIVER HAZARD PERRY 

The War of 1812 

The Battle of Lake Erie 

THE CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 




CLEVELAND 
1912 



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" LEST WE FORGET " 

The War of 1812 is a subject with which every 
thinking man and woman, boy and girl, in Cleveland 
will wish to be familiar during this year of Centennial 
celebration. 

Much has been written on the various battles, and 
the men who took part in them. Many of the engage- 
ments were on land, but the most important were 
fought at sea; and the one in which we of Ohio are 
most interested is the Battle of Lake Erie, and the 
famous victory of Oliver Hazard Perry. 

Every school boy and girl knows that many men 
and officers were killed in that engagement; that the 
enlisted men were buried at sea (in Lake Erie) at 
night; and that the bodies of the officers, both English 
and American, were taken to Put-in-Bay Island and 
buried in a spot near the lake shore. 

At the Western Reserve Historical Society is a 
large oil painting, executed by an artist who lived in 
Cleveland many years ago, Mr. Chevalier. This 
painting depicts the burial of the officers. The two 
fleets are drawn up in the background, while in the 
foreground is the scene of the last sad rites. 

It is a realistic and an interesting picture; the fierce 
conflict of the previous day is over; the ships ride at 



anchor on a lake that is calm and placid; one can 
almost hear the lapping of the waves upon the shore. 
But the triumph of victory is hushed in the presence 
of death. The brave of both armies had given their 
lives for their countries; and now, here, far from home 
and loved ones, their bodies were to be laid to rest to 
''sleep the sleep that knows not breaking, morn of toil 
nor night of waking." 

For one hundred years these graves have remained 
unmarked by a suitable monument. At last the people 
of the adjacent states together with the Congress of 
the United States have decided to honor the memory 
of Perry and his brave men by a monument that shall 
speak eloquently of their appreciation and love. 

Every citizen of Cleveland, every boy and girl, 
will surely wish to do his or her part in the celebration 
which is to commence next July and continue to 
October. Cleveland must not lag behind her sister 
cities and towns in the celebration which is to lead 
up to the laying of the cornerstone of the great 
monument. 

Let every one begin at once to read up on the War 
of 1812. 

One of the most thrilling and graphic accounts of 
the Battle of Lake Erie is that by George Bancroft, 
the historian. This may be found in a work published 
by the City of Cleveland in 1860, which gives the 



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proceedings of the inauguration of the Perry Statue 
which now stands in Wade Park not far from Euclid 
Avenue. 

And, by the way, the reading of these proceedings 
reveals the fact that the fire of patriotism burned strong 
in the hearts of the people in 1 860. The statue was 
then placed at the Public Square, and the occasion 
of the unveiling was one of the greatest events in the 
history of Cleveland. 

The Governor of Rhode Island and his staff were 
present; the officers of the state of Rhode Island; the 
members of the Rhode Island legislature, and the 
famous Providence Light Artillery. Also Governor 
Dennison of Ohio, and his staff were present. And 
many relatives and descendants of Commodore Perry, 
and many surviving soldiers of the War of 1812, 
were the guests of the city of Cleveland for the auspi- 
cious occasion. There were two or three who had been 
with Perry in his engagement. One of these was Dr. 
Usher Parsons, the surgeon of the flagship. He 
made an address to the assembled multitude, describing 
the scenes on board the Lawrence during and after the 
fierce conflict. 

To this inauguration of the Perry statue the people 
flocked from every nearby town and hamlet. They 
came in every conceivable kind of conveyance. In 
1860 the population of Cleveland was only 43,417. 



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And for this celebration there were 100,000 visitors 
in Cleveland! 

The account reads like a fairytale. "For two or 
three days previous the railroads had been bringing 
in large trains loaded down with people to attend the 
great celebration * * * The crowds poured in at 
such a rate that it seemed as if there would be no room 
left for the crowds that were to arrive on Monday. 
On Monday morning the trains came in loaded down, 
inside and outside, and on the top. Never before did 
cars come into Cleveland so densely packed with 
people. The masses of humanity clinging to them, 
wherever foothold or handgrip could be obtained, 
could be likened to nothing but a swarm of bees on 
a bush * * * Steamboats from Buffalo. Detroit and 
Sandusky * * * Teams came pouring in, in endless 
procession, and undoubtedly brought more than all the 
railroads added together ^ * * Thousands * * * 
came in on foot." 

And at that gathering stories were told, by those 
who were living at the time of the victory, — forty 
years previous — of how the news was carried, and 
how it was received by the people. Quoting again 
from this fascinating account — "Captain Johnson says 
that on the morning of the memorable 1 0th, (1813) 
he and a gang of men were just putting the finishing 
touches to the first court house and jail, which stood 



right in front of the present First Presbyterian Church. 
They thought they heard thunder, but looking out of 
the windows saw no clouds, and concluded it was the 
roar of cannon. They were expecting to hear news, 
knowing that Perry's fleet had passed up the lake. 
They all went to the bank of the lake ^ * * All the 
villagers assembled there, numbering perhaps thirty. 
They could distinguish between the reports of the 
larger and smaller guns. They staid on the bank 
until the reports ceased, and the last four or five 
reports being from heavy guns, and it being known that 
the Americans had the heaviest ordnance, they con- 
cluded that the victory was ours, and then on the spot 
they gave cheers for Perry." 

A letter written from Buffalo, dated Septembei 
1 9th, 1813, reads as follows: "You can easily imagine 
the effect of this news upon our villagers, and the 
soldiers stationed in this vicinity. I cannot describe 
it to you. Be assured we all breathe easier, for we 
believe that a blow has been struck by our noble tarj 
that will be felt throughout our whole frontier * * ^ 
This evening every tenement of the village, that hai 
a window, is to be brilliantly illuminated." 

Probably this "brilliant illumination" was by mean: 
of candles. 

How many citizens of Cleveland have seen th 
Perry statue which was erected in Cleveland in 1 860' 



How many know who was the sculptor of the statue, 
and how the money for it was raised by gifts of the 
people? 

How many have seen the oil portrait of Oliver 
Hazard Perry which hangs in the Council Chamber, 
at the City Hall 7 How many know that this portrait 
was presented to the city of Cleveland by the son of 
Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry as a token of appre- 
ciation of the honor shown his father's memory by 
the people of Cleveland? How many know that this 
portrait is a copy made by a Mr. Lawson of Lowell, 
Massachusetts, from the celebrated original painting 
by Gilbert Stuart? 

How many know that there is another copy of the 
Stuart portrait of Perry hanging on the walls of the 
Western Reserve Historical Society? 

Oh, Citizens of Cleveland, pause for a brief space 
in the mad rush of life! Turn your thoughts back- 
ward to 1812; gather about the firesides of your 
homes the members of your families, old and young, 
and read aloud — and discuss — the thrilling accounts 
of the War of 1812; the events which led up to the 
Battle of Lake Erie, and those which followed; instill 
into the minds of your sons and daughters the meaning 
of that war, its causes, and its far-reaching results. 
Study the maps, and realize what a different tale 
might have been told had not the dauntless Perry 



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opened the way to the later victories that resulted 
in the present boundary line between Canada and the 
United States. 

Then you will need no urging to respond to the call 
to add your mite to help the coming Cleveland cele- 
bration a brilliant success ; one which shall be recorded 
on the pages of Cleveland's history as having been 
as stirring and as wonderful for the year 1913 as 
was the one attending the inauguration of the Perry 
statue in 1860! 



The Western Reserve Historical Society possesses 
many rare publications on the War of 1812. It has 
also published a series of Tracts on the subject. These 
are now very scarce and out of print. 

In addition to the painting already mentioned as 
being on the walls of the Society's building, the Muse- 
um contains the original plaster cast of the Perry 
statue; and the plaster relievo which depicts the Com- 
modore as he passes in a rowboat from the Lawrence 
to the Niagara. 

The Museum also contains the sextant taken by 
Commodore Perry from Commodore Barclay in the 
engagement on Lake Erie, as well as a piece of wood 
from the hulk of the Lawrence, and a few pieces of 



cannon balls. The frame on the oil painting of the 
burial scene is said to be made from a heavy oak 
timber of the same ship. 

The Society's collection of books on the War of 
1812 will be open to adult readers, for reference only, 
daily, excepting Sundays, from nine a. m. to five p. m. 
The customary fee, of ten cents, for consulting the 
historical library, will not be charged for the use of 
this special collection during the coming year, by 
courtesy of the Western Reserve Historical Society. 
Annette P. Wafu), 
Librarian, Western Reserve Historical Society. 



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WERT BOOKBINDING 

JAN 1989 

s "• Granivjllc, PA 





